The Digha Nikaya

The Long Discourses

The Digha Nikaya, or "Collection of Long Discourses"
(Pali digha = "long") is the first division of the
Sutta Pitaka, and consists of thirty-four suttas, grouped into
three vaggas, or divisions:

Silakkhandha-vagga -- The Division Concerning Morality (13
suttas)

Maha-vagga -- The Large Division (10 suttas)

Patika-vagga -- The Patika Division (11 suttas)

Selected suttas from the Digha Nikaya

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, these suttas were
translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

Samaññaphala Sutta (DN 2) -- The Fruits of
the Contemplative Life. King Ajatasattu asks the Buddha,
"What are the fruits of the contemplative life, visible in the
here and now?" The Buddha replies by painting a comprehensive
portrait of the Buddhist path of training, illustrating each stage
of the training with vivid similes.

Kevatta (Kevaddha)
Sutta (DN 11) -- To Kevatta (Kevaddha). This discourse explores
the role of miracles and conversations with heavenly beings as a
possible basis for faith and belief. The Buddha does not deny the
reality of such experiences, but he points out that -- of all
possible miracles -- only the miracle of instruction in the proper
training of the mind is reliable. As for heavenly beings, they are
subject to greed, anger, and delusion, and so the information they
give -- especially with regard to the miracle of instruction -- is
not necessarily trustworthy. Thus the only valid basis for faith is
the instruction that, when followed, brings about the end of
one's own mental defilements. The tale that concludes the
discourse is one of the finest examples of the early Buddhist sense
of humor. [TB]

Lohicca Sutta (DN 12)
-- To Lohicca. A non-Buddhist poses some important questions:
If Dhamma is something that one must realize for oneself, then what
is the role of a teacher? Are there any teachers who don't
deserve some sort of criticism? The Buddha's reply includes a
sweeping summary of the entire path of practice.

Mahanidana Sutta (DN
15) -- The Great Causes Discourse. One of the most profound
discourses in the Pali Canon, which gives an extended treatment of
the teachings of dependent co-arising (paticca samuppada) and
not-self (anatta) in an outlined context of how these teachings
function in practice. An explanatory preface is included.

Mahaparinibbana Sutta (DN 16) -- The
Last Days of the Buddha [two translations: Sister Vajira and Francis Story, trs.
(complete text) | Thanissaro Bhikkhu, tr.
(excerpt)]. This wide-ranging sutta, the longest one in the Pali
Canon, describes the events leading up to, during, and immediately
following the death and final release (parinibbana) of the
Buddha. This colorful narrative contains a wealth of Dhamma
teachings, including the final instructions from the Buddha that
serve to define how Buddhism would be lived and practiced long
after the Buddha's death -- even to this day. But this sutta
also depicts, in simple language, the poignant human drama that
unfolds among the Buddha's many devoted followers around the
time of the death of their beloved teacher.

Mahasamaya Sutta (DN
20) -- The Great Meeting. A large group of devas pays a visit
to the Buddha. This sutta is the closest thing in the Pali Canon to
a "who's who" of the deva worlds, providing useful
material for anyone interested in the cosmology of early
Buddhism.

Sakka-pañha
Sutta (DN 21) -- Sakka's Questions(excerpt). Sakka,
the deva-king, asks the Buddha about the sources of conflict &
hostility, and about the path of practice that brings them to an
end. This discourse ends with a humorous account about Sakka's
frustration in trying to learn the Dhamma from other
contemplatives. It's hard to find a teacher when you're a
king.

Mahasatipatthana
Sutta (DN 22) -- The Great Frames of Reference (The Great Discourse
on the Foundations of Mindfulness). This sutta offers
comprehensive practical instructions on the practice of mindfulness
meditation. The Buddha describes how the development of continuous
mindfulness of the four satipatthana ("foundations of
mindfulness," or "frames of reference") --
mindfulness of the body, of feelings, of the mind, and of
mind-objects -- can lead ultimately to full Awakening. [The text of
this sutta is identical to that of the Satipatthana Sutta (MN 10), except
that the Majjhima version omits the exposition of the Four Noble
Truths (sections 5a,b,c and d in part D of this version).]

Sigalovada Sutta (DN
31) -- To Sigala/The Layperson's code of Discipline [Narada
Thera, tr.]. The householder's code of discipline, as described
by the Buddha to the layman Sigala. This sutta offers valuable
advice on how householders should conduct themselves in
relationships with parents, spouses, children, pupils, teachers,
employers, employees, friends, and spiritual mentors.